How Not To Promote Your New Book

I have both brick and mortar books out there, as well as independently books. What do they have in common? That I flailed around in promoting them all! There definitely is a way to promote books, and a way to not promote them. One way leads to sales, the other does not. 

What we are going to talk about here applies to new authors, as well as authors with a few books under their belts. Until we take a good look at how we promote our work, we are not going to see good results. Probably the worst mistake that we can make is starting to work on our promotions too late. I have made this mistake more than once. What I am looking at for the future is to start putting together a plan for promoting my books when I am about half-way through writing them. 

I am going to develop a marketing plan at this time that includes starting to talk about my WIP on my author blog (this blog), on my social media sites (including a dedicated author age on Facebook), and in my newsletter (you can sign up for that here). I am going to contact people that I would like to review my book, and line up where I will be sending copies (written and digital).

Something that is still in the thinking stages with me is pursuing awards. I would like to do that, and I think that it would increase sales, but  I have yet to research how this would be done.

You need a website. I have a website now that includes all of my work (Tarot and writing). Before my next book comes out, I will be bringing up a site dedicated to my non-Tarot books. I developed my first website on my own (and it shows!). My new website will be developed by Blue Host (I have found them very easy to work with). The one thing that I am absolutely against is having a single page that just streams down. I want dedicated pages for a bio, a listing of all of my non-Tarot books, and a page dedicated to each individual book.

Spread out how you promote. I will be doing blogs, writing articles for LinkedIn, and placing commentary on Google +, Twitter, and Facebook. I will be doing at least one video for You Tube, and I may also be doing Facebook ads, although I have never worked with them before.

Which brings up the subject of money. Once you look at where you are considering promoting your book, set a budget for yourself. You can always expand your budget if need be, but set an initial budget so that you can some financial guidelines to work with.  

There is a need to brand yourself. We do this through the name(s) we write under (I choose to write under my own name), the genres that we write in, and how we present ourselves. I am looking at using the same background/banner for my website, my Facebook page, and my newsletter. 

We need to continue our branding through how we write - the focus on our author bio, the short blurb for our book (often referred to as an elevator speech), and a more detailed version referencing our book. We need to make our talking points reflect who we are as writers, as well as making our work interesting enough to draw in potential readers/fans. 

Final words: recognize that you are responsible for doing your own promotion. Hiring someone to do it for you may not be cost effective, and you may not be promoted in the manner that you wish to be. Promote wisely!

(c) September 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.  

Author Bio

Words that I hate to hear – “We need a short bio with that.” Now, I have bios written – long and short. Different bios reflect different parts of my life. It doesn’t matter – I hate to write about myself! So … where do we begin with these lovely bios? We do need them to be done well, reflective of who we are, and interesting to the reader. We need to come across as knowledgeable and accomplished, because we want our readers to have trust in us, and in our work.

Even if you don’t have work ready to go to an editor at the moment, take the time to write a bio - actually two or three. A long version (for editors), and short version (for bylines), and a version (long or short) for your Internet site (yes, you should have an Internet site!). You can fine tune them as you go along, until it reads as well as your written work. It is also a good idea to have a professional photo taken to go with your bio’s.

The first thing to consider when writing your bio is the correct tense. To avoid the appearance of talking about yourself, write in the third person, using your name, rather than saying “I”.

Keep the short version to under 300 words. You want the style to read like that of a book jacket, something that will peak people’s interest. List where you live, perhaps any organizations you are associated with, any previous work that you have published, and something that sets you apart, something that makes you unique. You have one paragraph here to create a vibrant you!

If you are creating a bio to be included in a query letter, the rules change a bit. Write in the first person, stick to the facts (leave out the personal history that makes you unique), and list only significant professional credits.

Things that you might want to consider adding into a longer bio include work history, schooling, life experiences, hobbies, writing credentials, contests or prizes that you have won, and your online presence.

Still at a stalemate? Look at other author’s bios. What do you like about them? What don’t you like about them. What makes you relate to specific author’s? How do they inject humor into their bio’s so that they seem more human and approachable? What is their “voice”? (Above all, you want your bio to carry the same “voice” as your work. You need to essentially “brand” yourself so that your readers have something to follow.)

Remember, your bio is your chance to let people get to know you. State the facts, but remain humble. Choose you best, most relevant publications/achievements to list in your bio. For me, writing my bio’s is an ongoing process. They evolve as I evolve. You may find that this holds true for you as well.

© September 2012 Bonnie Cehovet